If you want to enjoy the process of getting in shape whilst doing it in a non extreme way (yoyo dieting) you need to devote all your efforts in formulating a plan from now. Allowing yourself enough time to shape up for the summer months will allow you to have the odd slip up along the way and it not to be too detrimental, but if on the other hand you’ve only allowed yourself 4 weeks this can be a problem for many of us.

The Goal

Many people fall short when setting out on achieving a fitness related goal because of a few variables, specificity, time, intensity plus a few more.

The goal is to understand your goal and the various ways to conquer it. If you’re new into fitness then why not hire an experienced personal trainer to help you along your way. Ensure your training plan has structure, far too often I see individuals walking around the gym aimlessly, if you are struggling for motivation or know how just ask. When it comes to your actual workout plan choose exercises that are specific to your goal, if fat loss or a body transformation is the aim then place compound moves ahead of isolation exercises like bicep curls.

The Plan

Try keeping training long, training long is a perfect motivational tool as you can keep track of how your weights have increased or your speed during interval training. Now we all love the idea of getting summer fit so as well as a workout plan make sure you plan to attend the gym and show up! Prioritize your workouts, set reminders and events in your diary; make them as important as your work meetings or events.

The Workout

Now along with the tips above we have created a lower body workout that will help you get In amazing shape for the summer.

Lower body workout

Exercise Sets/Reps Tempo Rest

A1 BFE Split Squat 4×8-10 3010 30

A2 Trapbar deadlift 4×8-10 3011 90

B1 Drop Lunges 3×8-10 2010 10

B2 Incline Leg press 3×15-20 3010 90

C1 Farmers walks 3x30m xoxo 0

C2 Reverse sled Pulls 3x30m xoxo 120

If you would like help from the Square Mile Fitness city of London personal trainers please do get in touch, we would love to help.

We are all wired differently, some of us will be better at long distance cardio while others will do much better at short sharper interval training. Regardless of these two facts there is one thing we all have In common, and that is we where all born to move.

One of the great things about interval training is that it can be highly effective for a beginners but also to the more advanced individual. Our team of personal trainers at Square Mile Fitness have come up with a few tips on how to effectively include interval training (HIIT) into your current workout program.

The Benefits

Interval training is a fantastic way of getting into incredible shape, getting fit whist saving time in the process due to its great response within the body. The perfect interval program should deliver the following

Leave you feeling a mess but incredible after

Improve your conditioning over long and short distances

Better your bone density, lowering risk of injury

Burn a bucket load of calories

Last less that 35 minutes

Leave you burning fat even after your workout is over

More on interval training

Now even though HIIT (High intensity interval training) may seem easy on paper and the though of being in and out of the gym in less than an hour sounds awesome there is a catch, interval training is tough! HIIT will challenge you both physically and mentally, some days you may even feel to pull the pin during your workout, but don’t, keep going and you’ll reap the many rewards that interval training has to offer. On the other hand as this style or workout utilizes many different rest to work ratios you’ll notice that the sessions are over before you know it, this defiantly beats the mental slog of running at a steady pace for 60 plus minutes right?

How To Get Started With Interval Training

If currently you do on include HIIT within your workout plan here are a few pointer on how to get you started. If exercise is very new to you and you do not feel comfortable running on the treadmill at high speeds you can start with a walking/ jog protocol. Try to incorporate interval training into your plan 2 times per week to help build your confidence and fitness levels. To mix things up try to alternate between incline walks then jogging flat. As a beginner you should utilize longer rest periods up to three times the amount of your working sets. You can use this approach to cardio on many forms of equipment like the bike or cross trainer to shake thins up a little.

Short Intense Intervals

If your primary goal is to improve conditioning or peak power then shorter intervals with less rest will work a treat. This sort of workout can have a great anabolic response, help you to build lean muscle and get ripped!

Here are a few examples of Interval training using shorter rest periods.

Sample workout 1

8x 10 seconds fast with 50 seconds recovery

6x 15 seconds fast with 45 seconds recovery

4x 20 seconds fast with 60 seconds recovery

Sample workout 2

7x 15 seconds fast with 75 seconds recovery

5x 25 seconds fast with 90 seconds recovery

3x 30 seconds fast with 100 seconds recovery

Endurance based intervals

If on the other hand endurance is the goal hand but you would still like to improve speed whilst retaining muscle mass your go to can still be interval training.

Here are a few examples of some endurance Interval workouts

Sample workout 1

6x 35 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

5x 45 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

4x 60 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

Sample workout 2

5x 45 seconds fast with 45 seconds recovery

4x 60 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

3x 90 seconds fast with 60 seconds recovery

HIIT Training with weights

Sample workout 1

Exercise Reps/Sets Tempo Rest

A1 Squats 3×12-15 4010 30

A2 Lat pull-down 3×12-15 3010 30

B1 Leg curl 3×8-10 4010 30

B2 Chest press 3×10-12 3110 30

C1 Leg press 3×15-20 2010 30

C2 Seated row 3×15-20 2011 30

We hope this article has given you the motivation to safely try some interval training, if you have any questions please do get in touch.

With silly season fast approaching, the diary full of charismas boozy brunches, client dinners and weekend benders, the Christmas period can easily spiral out of control, turning into a calorific bonanza. At this point in time it may feel easier to hang up your gym shoes for your dancing shoes to then resume fitness training in the new year, but there is a solution or a few rather. Here at Square Mile Fitness our expert Personal Trainers have put together a few tips to help you have a happy health fit holidays.

Here are 5 tips to keep you in tiptop shape during silly season

Get Up And Go
Even though you may have time off or a few later starts than usual use this time productively. We all love the odd lie in from time to time but this time could be used for a trip to the gym to see your trainer, a buddy up workout or a nice early morning run. Planning ahead is the perfect way to shape up your day, make keeping healthy or just moving more a priority. Another benefit to training in the morning is that you can get a good workout done before all the invites for beers come swooping in. your training does not always need to last for an hour, making intensity a priority will net you a great session in 30-40 minutes like this fat loss program we have created.

Food Glorious Food
During the winter months when the weather begins to get much colder we all tend to lean towards comfort foods, some nice roast potatoes, pies, puddings, chips the lot! Now I am not here to say don’t ever eat these foods but the key is to know when to stop; you’re not 12 years old and it is ok to leave the table without cleaning the plate if you’re already full. Don’t be so hard on yourself; now this is something I come across everyday, you have one bad thing to eat then you right off the whole day, that isn’t how it should work. Here is a little tip, plan ahead, even if it is you planning to have something bad but you will also plan the other things you eat that will be healthier. Doing this will ensure that if you do have something a tad unhealthy you will also consume foods that are much better for you, don’t beat yourself up, life goes on!

Teamwork
If you are struggling for motivation why not get your partner, a work colleague, family member or friend involved in one of your workouts; you could even ask your personal trainer if you can bring a friend along to a session to give them some motivation. Surrounding yourself with like minded individuals or someone that’s has a similar goal to yourself will feel empowering, encouraging and you’ll be able to push each other though the more difficult workouts or exercises that you may not be too fond of. Whilst training with a partner you can put your heads together to create workouts that are challenging but fun, there will be exercises that one may prefer over the other but you can motivate each other to work hard and push through the pain

Goal Setting
Plan all of your workouts into your diary and set reminders if need be, make a few bouts of exercise per week a priority. Just as you would make plans to meet up with friends to go shopping or for coffee. A workout should also be slotted into the diary and given the same importance. Approaching the holiday period aimlessly with no actual plan to exercise is just asking for trouble. With no plan it is very likely that all forms of exercise will be missed, so plan ahead to stay in the game. Try to shake things up a little from the current workout schedule that you have. So if group fitness is what you usually do why not try a short dumbbell workout in the gym or a workout that requires no equipment at all.
An ideal week could look like this for you.
Monday – Personal training session
Tuesday – Interval run outside
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – Buddy up gym Session – or Group Fitness Class
Friday – PT session
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – – Rest

Have Fun
For many of us working out is not just for the physical aesthetic reasons but for the release of the feel good hormones or for the mental clearance of a tough day. Training should be challenging but above all you should try to enjoy it or at least feel good once its over. Get involved in friendly challenges, simple things like “ go to the gym three times per week “ if this is not achieved then a friendly forfeit are put in place, buying coffee for the team is one that I like. Enjoying what you do whether you workout in or outside the gym is important, as the more fun you have the more likely you will stick with it for an extended period of time. Find out what it is you enjoy then give it your all.

We hope a few of these tips can be put to use in order for you to have a happy fit festive session, remember Keep Hydrated, plan ahead and remember to have fun.

I searched around for a few different providers for 12-week body transformation courses, and Tirrel stood out from the beginning. He is friendly, knowledgeable, supportive and tailored a plan and approach for me based on my background. I think one thing that really helped was his ability to read how things were going and what type of person I am, to try and keep the program straddle a balance between pushing me as far as it could, but not being unattainable. Really great trainer, program and also a top guy. Couldn’t recommend enough

If you would also like to undergo a 12 week body transformation that will reveal incredible results, please do get in touch as our personal trainers would love to help.

“I have tried many personal trainers in the past but never had much success. Tirrel was recommended by the friend who had also faced a similar issue so I thought I’d give it a go for my wedding. He helped me every step of the way including the diet and exercise. I lost 2 stones in 3 months and reached my best ever weight. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a true body transformation. He will guide you every step of the way and ensure you don’t lose your momentum and motivation.”

If you would also like get in shape for a specific event or date please get in touch, it would be a pleasure to transport you to your best shape ever!

I was looking for an 8-week intensive transformation program and visited a number of gyms around London to find the right trainer for me. A number of factors made me choose Tirrel; he’s easy to get on with and has an infectious positive attitude, he clearly knew his stuff, was clued up on nutrition and his prices were sensible.

We discussed the goals I had in mind and he worked out an evolving program over the 8 weeks covering sessions with him and sessions on my own. He added a nutrition plan to this which included an array of natural supplements that I admittedly had little knowledge of beforehand and now wouldn’t go without.

For me the training was intensive and pushed me to my limit and that’s what I wanted. Despite the hard work it was hugely enjoyable and I recommended a friend of mine to train with Tirrel – a clear indication that I was happy with how it all went! The results were great and also the knowledge that I gained through the 8 weeks on both exercises and nutrition made it even more worthwhile. I’ll be back training with Tirrel when I return to the UK.

If you would also like to be used to your training limit with one of our personal trainers, please get in touch.

4 Ways To Get The Office Fit To Achieve Corporate Wellness

The Corporate Wellness Workshop with Square Mile Fitness

Do you dream of having a team of employees that are productive, eager and strive for the best? This doesn’t have to be a dream; it can become a reality if you work on improving the wellness of your office.

Improving the wellness and overall happiness of the office can easily be achieved by getting them fit. This doesn’t mean that you need to turn your office into an army drill but rather input a few subtle changes to get your staff motivated to become fit and healthy. This will in turn make them more happy and productive in the workplace.

Here are 4 ways in which you can get the office fit to achieve corporate wellness:

1. Invest In Standing Work Stations

One of the biggest reasons why office workers lack in fitness is because they are sitting down almost all day every day. This isn’t good for their health or fitness and should really be spending more time on their feet. This can be achieved by installing some standing work stations in the office to give staff the option of either sitting or standing while working.

2. Buy Gym Equipment

Do you really need that extra meeting room? You don’t need to be a huge corporate business to have a gym in the workplace. Many businesses have room to put some gym equipment in such as Dumbbells and yoga mats but don’t realize it. Offering your employees a free space to workout during their lunch hours is the perfect way to encourage them to stay fit and healthy.

3. Use Reminder Apps

While you may think that employees sitting at their desks for 7 hours a day will mean they will doing loads of work, it probably means that their productiveness is actually lacking. It is important to have mini breaks during the day so as to refresh their minds. While they will be spending less time sitting at their desk, they will actually be more productive and get more work done. Look at Google for example, they offer their staff places to sleep and play games. There are some great apps out there such as Workrave which will notify the employee when they should take a break and what exercise they could do during that break.

4. Encourage Employees To Go Out During Breaks

I have seen it so many times where employees will remain at their desks during lunch hours and either carry in working or browse the Internet. This isn’t going to help them be productive. Encourage your employees to take proper lunch breaks by going out for a quick walk. While it is ok for them to browse the Internet every now and again, you don’t want to see them at their desks every day during lunch breaks. It will not create a healthy working environment.

For more ways to create a healthy happy work place join our Wellness Workshop Program, email us for more information.

Who doesn’t love having a go-to batch of something to transform into your favourite dish? I know I certainly do. For a busy bee like me I need to have simple and easy protein-packed portions of my favorite macro-friendly foods ready to transform into a quick and tasty post-workout feeds. I love cooking,but the last thing I want to do after a hectic day is spend 2 hours in the kitchen. I want my food and I want it fast!

For me, the easiest of these is a simple and adaptable mince base. Having turned pescatarian after a recent flirtation with veganism, my go to ‘mince’ is a soy based one, but all of the meal ideas below could be easily adapted with a turkey or chicken breast mince – which, would actually give you a lower fat count, leaving your fat macros for those beloved jars of peanut butter, or equally substituted for a lean beef mince for roughly the same macros split. For those of you that don’t count, you can choose whichever you prefer for flavour.

So, for me, making a big old batch of a tasty mince base is a great way to make sure you have something to eat in a hurry without reaching for the takeaway menu. It’s certainly a healthier and tastier option in my humble opinion!

To make a great base that you can use for a chilli, a low carb bolognese or even as the base for a burger you’ll need the following:

Some mince of your choice

Garlic – because garlic really does make everything taste better, and it’s great for the old ticker.

Red onion

Tomato purée

A couple of old tomatoes (new ones are fine but I find that it’s a good way to use up old ones)

Green peppers (or any of your choice, I just like green for colour purposes)

Olive oil

Oregano

Himalayan pink salt (any salt technically will do but I love the mineral flavour given by this salt and it has the added health benefits)

Black pepper

Tsp Marmite – you have to trust me on this one, even those who hate it, will love the depth of flavour this adds.

Method:

Finely dice your onion and garlic (or use a garlic purée like me because a. It’s far more concentrated, b. It saves a lot of time, c. You don’t get smelly garlic fingers!)

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the above. Cook until softened.

Add in a tbsp on tomato purée and continuously mixed in the pan for 2-3 minutes

Roughly chop your green peppers and cook for around 5 minutes until also softened and browned.

Add your mince, I would say roughly 300g at a time maximum to ensure that there’s an even spread of flavours with the other ingredients.

Cook the mince until the colour has changed and it is well cooked through.

Take your tomatoes and roughly chop them. Add to the pan.

Add two cups of water, the oregano, black pepper, and marmite.

Cook down for a further 15 minutes on a medium to low heat with the lid on.

After this time you should notice that the water has reduced to almost nothing and your tomatoes have cooked down into a delicious mushy consistency and mixed in with the mince beautifully.

If you need to, remove the lid and cook down for a further 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened to your liking.

Taste and season with the salt to your liking.

Set aside to cool and portion or eat immediately with the accompaniment of your choice.

The two photos attached to this are two ways in which I love to serve my mince, both of which just so happen to be low-carb methods too. Feel free of course to switch it up.

First dish pictured is my spicy version with lettuce ‘tacos’. Of course you could use real tacos, but I love the freshness and crunch of those super cold, crisp leaves. To adapt the mince for this simply fry over a little chilli in some olive oil, add in some roughly chopped red peppers and courgette and cook until softened. Add in your mince mix and cook until hot through, generally just 5 minutes. Tip out and serve. And it really is that simple. I topped this with a big dollop of soft blue cheese as a treat but equally it’s just as delicious with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or my current food obsession; cottage cheese!

The second adaptation is more of a straight forward ‘I have no time thank goodness I had that’ situation! I quickly pan-fried over in a little olive oil spray some additional peppers and some mushrooms and added the mince mix. Separately I quickly cooked some konjac noodles, again you could easily substitute for proper pasta, I had clearly used up all my carbs for that day! Once cooked, pop the mince on top and you have a healthy, home-cooked ‘spag bol’ in minutes.

The great thing with having this go-to mince is you can literally use it as a base for anything. Make enough and you have Tupperware meals for days that you can adapt or change the accompaniments to. And to transform into burgers, simply add an egg, smash together and fry over or grill.

Food is fuel that’s for sure, but it has to be enjoyable and tasty and easy to prepare to. We all live hectic lives but there’s no reason we can’t eat tasty and healthy with minimal fuss and faff in the kitchen.

In this day and age we have grown accustomed to everything becoming faster plus more accessible. With fitness it seems the same trend has set in, we all want results yesterday!

But is it really possible to see your abs in 30 days? So you hit the gym for a whole week yet no results. You decided to really go for it on week two but in your head you’re already defeated.

Why is this so hard, am I expecting more than what my genetics and physiology will allow?

Immediately results are always expected; a smaller waist, bigger biceps; squared pecks and chiseled abs are always high on the fitness wish list.

If you’re running thin on patients or if you feel this fitness malarkey isn’t for you, rest assured there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Getting on Track

You could lose a lot more fat than you would think possible if you actually knew how much you are over eating. I have seen many clients achieve rapid results just by keeping a food diary then bringing the calories down to optimal then creating a deflect in calories. Research shows that the majority of us consume more than 50% of our calories from carbohydrate; this approach is not for everyone. Your diet should be adapted upon body type, body composition plus activity level.

A good head start on beating this carb extravaganza is to aim to consume some protein at every meal and to load up on the veggies. Get creative with your food, balanced meals alongside controlled portions will turn you into a fat burning furnace whilst improving your body composition! Think outside of the cereal box

How many Crunches should I do?

My answer to that question is; not that many. Some of the best ways of seeing your abs in a short space of time do not involve doing any crunches at all! If you would like to burn tones of fat, use a mixture of multi-joint compound exercises alongside cardio. Training with the most bang for your buck exercise will result in more calories burned leading to fat loss. If you’re pressed for time train in a circuit fashion this way you can kill two birds with on stone and get ripped without any crunches!

An example of this style of training is below; remember you do not need to use all your tools at once.

Exercise Tempo Sets/ Reps Rest

A1 Split Squat 3010 5×10-12 30 seconds

A2 Lat Pulldown 3011 5×10-12 30 seconds

A3 Leg Curls 4010 5×8-10 60 seconds

Can I see my Abs Yet?

It is important to keep track of your progress but I encourage clients to do this with the mirror rather than the scales; remember we want fat loss not just weight loss. If I was to tell you your going to lose 1-2lbs per week but by the end of the month you’d have shaved inches off your waistline would you take that? I’m sure most people would.

Another reason to focus on fat loss, over weight loss is, the lower your body fat the bigger and more defined your muscles will look…. Result!

So how do you see your abs in 30 day?

Priorities training

Be accountable for what you eat

Don’t over complicate things

Take Ownership

Focus on what you do want to happen and less of what you don’t

Determination

Be Consistency

Train hard, then train harder, and you’ll see your abs in 30 days.

if you too would like to see your abs, please get in touch, one of our personal trainers would love to help.

“When I decided to see what I could achieve when I properly committed to both fitness and nutrition for a consistent period of time, I knew I needed something more than a standard Personal Trainer from one of the major gym chains. I spent a couple of weeks searching the internet to seek out the best personal trainer I could find and am pleased to say that I chose Tirrel Grant.

Tirrel fulfilled two important qualities I had set out to find in a trainer:
– he is someone who has achieved an excellent physique himself and so knows exactly what it takes to achieve the transformative change I wanted
– he is someone who could motivate me to push myself without just being shouty or militaristic, but could listen and understand me as an individual

From the first meeting with Tirrel I felt completely confident that I was starting my journey with the right person. He is extremely friendly and engaging, full of energy but also very perceptive and focused on what you want to achieve and what might be your personal pitfalls that could stand in the way of achieving it. After a detailed analysis of my lifestyle, fitness levels and goals, he setabout creating an initial programme including nutrition and supplement plan and we began meeting twice a week for some challenging but extremely enjoyable sessions.

I saw visible improvements within just a few weeks and before long decided to increase the intensity to three sessions, buoyed by the burst of energy and positivity I gained from the results and from the genuine fun I had each time I trained with Tirrel. He has a fantastic sense of humour and can get you into the right headspace for a good session even on occasions where you were having a bad day before arriving.

After a year of training with Tirrel, I was in the best shape that I had ever been in and discovered that I could achieve results I had always felt may be beyond my reach. If you are looking for a trainer who can help you achieve more than you thought possible and someone who makes the whole process enjoyable rather than something to endure, then I would urge you to contact Tirrel Grant, before someone else books your slot in his schedule!”

If you would like a personal trainer who will get you results whist you enjoy the journey, please get in touch

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